Lynas's condisoil yet to receive Sirim green light

KUALA LUMPUR: Sirim is yet to give the green light for condisoil, a soil conditioner derived from residue produced by the the rare earth plant run by Lynas.

Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said Sirim has not completed its test on the condisoil.

He said Lynas has jumped the gun in stating that Sirim has given safety confirmation for its condisoil.

"I agree that Lynas has jumped the gun as the test is still underway.

"It is better to leave it to Sirim to complete its work and let the Environment Department announce the results," Wilfred told Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan) in the Dewan Rakyat today during Question Time.

Fuziah said Lynas had in its email to the Save Malaysia; Stop Lynas chairman stated that "the condisoil is non-toxic, non-radioactive".

"I think this is jumping the gun as you said the test is still underway," she told Madius.

Wilfred said Lynas has appointed Sirim as the condisoil standard certification consultant.

"As of now the safety confirmation test is still being conducted by Sirim. The final report will be released by end of August," he said.

It was reported that Lynas said the Atomic Energy Licensing Board and Nuclear Malaysia has confirmed that the condisoil is non-radioactive and that Sirim has confirmed it to be non-carcinogenic and non-ecotoxic.

Rare earth mining company Lynas Corporation hopes to process residue from its production operations for commercial use next year.

In an interview last year, Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd vice-president Datuk Mashal Ahmad had said 211,454 metric tonnes of residue are being stored at its advanced material plant and it is collaborating with two institutions to turn the waste into material for use in agriculture.

He said Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Develop­ment Institute (Mardi) is running field tests on a soil conditioner that was derived from its water leach purification (WLP) residue.

"Researchers from both institutes have tested this conditioner, called "Condisoil", on various crops including corn, kenaf, paddy, coconut and cattle-grass.

"After two harvest seasons, the initial results are amazing, with the growth rate of the plants doubled using Condisoil," he said.